Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Rocky Mountain CESU | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What agency is offering this funding opportunity?

This opportunity was announced by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) through its National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program.

2) What type of award is being offered?

The award instrument is a cooperative agreement. This generally means USGS expects substantial involvement during the project, such as coordination on technical direction, deliverables, and integration with NAWQA program needs.

3) What framework is this opportunity offered under?

The funding opportunity was offered under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) framework and is specifically tied to the Rocky Mountain CESU (RM CESU).

4) What is the main purpose of this project?

The project has two core purposes: (1) support research on the taxonomy and autecology of algae (primarily diatoms) in U.S. streams and rivers, and (2) make the resulting science broadly accessible through programming development and expert content creation for the "Diatoms of the United States" online flora.

5) What scientific topics are emphasized?

The opportunity emphasizes taxonomy and autecology of algae, with primary emphasis on diatoms, across streams and rivers in the United States.

6) What does "taxonomy" mean in the context of this opportunity?

Taxonomy refers to identifying, describing, and clarifying species and their distinguishing characteristics.

7) What does "autecology" mean in the context of this opportunity?

Autecology focuses on how individual species relate to environmental conditions, such as nutrients, conductivity, temperature, habitat, flow regime, and other water-quality and ecological factors.

8) Why are diatoms a focus of this funding opportunity?

Diatoms are widely used as bioindicators in freshwater monitoring. Improving taxonomic resolution and ecological interpretation can strengthen national water-quality assessments and improve the ability to detect and explain environmental change.

9) What types of waterbodies are included in the scope?

The scope is focused on streams and rivers in the United States.

10) What is the "Diatoms of the United States" online flora mentioned in the announcement?

It is an online flora hosted at http://westerndiatoms.colorado.edu/ intended to provide identification and reference resources for diatoms, including standardized species pages, images, descriptions, and distributional and ecological notes.

11) What kinds of web-related activities are expected under this award?

The opportunity supports programming development and expert content creation for the online flora, which implies building and/or improving the digital infrastructure that delivers identification resources and ensuring scientific content is authoritative and current.

12) Does the opportunity support both research and dissemination?

Yes. The announcement describes a combination of specialized diatom research (taxonomy and autecology) and web-based dissemination through the "Diatoms of the United States" online flora.

13) What is the estimated total funding amount?

The estimated total funding amount listed is $1,000,000.

14) How many awards were expected?

Only one award was expected.

15) Was an award ceiling or floor published?

No stated award ceiling or floor was listed. The agency projected a total amount for the single expected award but did not publish a fixed per-award range.

16) Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. There was no cost-sharing or matching requirement, meaning applicants were not required to provide non-federal funds as a condition of eligibility.

17) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility was limited to partners participating in the Rocky Mountains CESU Program (RM CESU). The applicant had to already be part of the RM CESU network to be considered.

18) What does it mean that this is a CESU opportunity?

CESUs are formal partnerships designed to facilitate collaborative research, technical assistance, and education among federal agencies and partner institutions. For this opportunity, eligibility and participation are tied to the RM CESU partnership network.

19) What is the program or assistance listing identifier (CFDA number)?

The CFDA number associated with the opportunity is 15.808 (U.S. Geological Survey Research and Data Collection).

20) What broad category or field does this project fall under?

The announcement places the project in science and technology and other research and development, emphasizing production of new scientific knowledge and practical tools that make that knowledge usable.

21) When was the opportunity posted?

The opportunity was posted on February 19, 2015.

22) What was the application closing date?

The application closing date was March 3, 2015.

23) When was the opportunity archived?

The opportunity was later archived on May 19, 2015.

24) How can someone get help accessing the full announcement?

The contact listed for assistance was Faith Graves at the USGS. Phone: 703-648-7356. Email: fgraves@usgs.gov.

25) What kind of involvement should recipients expect from USGS during the project?

Because the instrument is a cooperative agreement, recipients should expect substantial USGS involvement, such as coordination on technical direction, deliverables, and integration with NAWQA program needs.

26) What kinds of content may be included in the online flora deliverables?

The announcement implies the online flora may include identification resources, standardized species pages, images, descriptions, and distributional and ecological notes, supported by digital infrastructure that is maintainable and keeps the content current and authoritative.